Abdominal muscle training apparatus

Abstract

Exercise apparatus (10) for training the abdominal muscles of a user (41) comprises a lever frame (11) linked to a support frame (12) at a pivot (13). The lever frame (11) has first and second arms (14, 15) joined at a central junction (16) which also forms a fulcrum for the lever frame (11). The support frame (12) consists of a base member (19) having a seat portion (21) associated therewith. The apparatus (10) is adapted to support a user (41) in a half-kneeling position so as to promote neutral pelvic alignment during the performance of abdominal muscle training exercise. In use, the exercise apparatus (10) is operated by the user (41) pushing the first arm (14) away from his or her body so as to cause the lever frame (11) to rotate about its fulcrum (16). This lifts the second arm (15), which in turn causes the seat portion (21) associated with the base member (19) to lift and / or tilt. The user's abdominal muscles are thus exercised in lifting his or her own body mass.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to exercise apparatus for training a user's abdominal muscles. In particular, it relates to such apparatus in which the user exercises in a supported half-kneeling position, promoting neutral pelvic alignment.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]During the performance of physical exercise, the body is subjected to stresses and strains beyond that which would normally be encountered in most people's everyday activities. These stresses and strains increase the risk of injury occurring to vulnerable areas of the body such as the joints, and care should be taken to minimise such risks wherever possible during training.[0003]In the performance of exercises for training the abdominal muscles, with which the present invention is concerned, the joint between the pelvis and the spine is particularly at risk. To minimise the risk of injury to this joint, it is thought to be beneficial to maintain the pelvis, so far as is possible during the perfo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]The present invention seeks to address these problems by enabling a user to perform abdominal muscle training exercise from a half-kneeling position, thus promoting neutral pelvic alignment, with the resistive load being provided primarily by the user's own body mass. The present invention further seeks to provide exercise apparatus capable of being adapted for use as a static kneel chair, in which the user may easily and safely mount and dismount from the rear of the seat.

[0013]In a currently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first and second arms of the lever frame are arranged generally perpendicular to one another thereby to form a generally L-shaped lever frame. The lever frame thus has a handle end, adapted for manual operation, and a free end, with the junction being located therebetween. The junction between the first and second arms is preferably rounded and arranged to bear against a working surface beneath the exercise apparatus. The rounded junction may be arranged to bear directly against the working surface, or in alternative embodiments of the present invention may be arranged to bear against the working surface via an intermediary member. Suitable constructions of intermediary member include the use of a rocker bar arranged perpendicularly across the lever frame and having rounded feet at either end thereof adapted to bear against the working surface. The forces imparted by the user during exercise are thus displaced to either side of the apparatus, giving enhanced stability.

[0014]The exercise apparatus is operated by the user repeating a cycle of pushing the first arm away from his or her body, and subsequently releasing the manual force applied to the first arm. As the manual force is released, the user's body mass urges the seat portion back to its initial rest position, which in turn causes the lever frame to return to its rest position. The lever frame thus rotates about the fulcrum in a back-and-forth rocking motion as the manual force is repeatedly applied and released. To provide comfort to the user, and to enable the performance of a range of different exercises, the first arm preferably comprises a handlebar adapted for manual operation by the user.

[0015]The second arm of the lever frame is preferably linked to the support frame base member via a pivot. Operation of the lever frame causes the second arm and the pivot to lift away from the working surface, causing the seat portion both to lift and to tilt. This action ensures that both the user's upper and lower abdominal muscles are exercised in lifting his or her body mass, thus promoting the execution of a correct abdominal contraction. Counter-clockwise rotation of the lever frame about the fulcrum causes clockwise rotation of the support frame about the pivot, and vice versa.

[0019]In this embodiment, the seat portion is joined to the base member at an acutely angled junction, thereby forming a generally V-shaped support frame. This shape enables the seat portion to be correctly aligned for supporting a user in the half-kneeling position, and also facilitates the interaction between the lever frame and the support frame, as the generally L-shaped lever frame and the generally V-shaped support frame can be arranged such that the respective junctions of said frames are generally co-incident when the apparatus is at rest. To impart further strength to the support frame structure, the seat portion may be further supported by one or more struts extending from the base member at or adjacent the foot.

[0023]In a currently preferred embodiment of exercise apparatus according to the present invention, two separate knee rest elements are provided, each being mounted independently of the other via a flexible mount. The flexible mount permits minimal movement of each knee rest element relative to the support frame, thereby to accommodate leg movement during exercise without causing undue stress to the user's knees.

Problems solved by technology

These stresses and strains increase the risk of injury occurring to vulnerable areas of the body such as the joints, and care should be taken to minimise such risks wherever possible during training.

However, for users lacking mobility, such as those who are disabled, obese or elderly, it can be difficult comfortably to adopt the supine position, and even more difficult to return to a standing position afterwards.

However, such devices do not promote neutral pelvic alignment, leaving the user at an increased risk of injury.

However it is believed that, until now, no exercise apparatus has sought to support a user in the half-kneeling position for the performance of abdominal muscle training exercise.

Furthermore, current designs of kneel chairs do not promote easy and safe mounting and dismounting of the seat, requiring the user to mount the seat from the front of the chair and to step back into the seat.

In addition to the above discussed concerns regarding neutral pelvic alignment, many known abdominal training devices suffer further shortcomings in that they rely solely on weight-stacks or elastic resistance elements to provide the resistive force which the user must overcome during exercise.

The use of weight-stacks inevitably greatly increases the overall mass of the product, making it difficult and expensive to ship, and cumbersome to move once installed.

A drawback involved in the use of elastic resistance elements alone is that the resistive load increases exponentially as the material is stretched.

Unless used in combination with other resistive loads, this provides an unnatural load and decreases the specificity of the exercise, i.e. the targeting of a particular exercise to a particular group of muscles.

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